Pneumatic-tire protector.



6.. VERGOTE. PNEUMATIC TIRE PROTECTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 24, 1909.

Patented July 5, 1910. y

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. VERGOTIL. PNEUMATIC TIRE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1909.

0 & mm mp m I 3 hm dm Mna m a... m a w 7 a 2 k a w N m Wit mm Isections, to enable it to be readily applied the cover is GUSTAVEVERGOTE, OF MARSHALL, MINNESOTA PNEUMATIC-TIER E rnorncron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1910.

Application filed July 24, 1909. Serial No. 509,315.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVE Vnnco'rn, a citizen of the 'United States,residing at Marshall, in the county of Lyon and State of Minnesota, haveinvented new and useful I or projections 7, the recesses 6 exposingsuflicient of the sides of the tire for maximum expansion andcontraction, while the projections 7 serve to limit "the lateralexpansion of the tire and cesses 6 and arms Improvements inPneumatic-Tire Protectors, O hold the pr tor in p si io g of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a protector for pneumatic tires, the object ofthe invention being to provide a protector which, while allowing ampleexpansion and contraction -f the tire will securely protect the sameagainst injury, and which may be easily appied and. removed, will.firmly retain its position on the tire, and may be manufac-" tured andsold at a comparatively low cost. The invention consists of the featuresof construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, reference coifi ipanying drawings,

1 whee embodying my invention, one of the coupling devices beingremoved. Fig. 2 is a. cross section on line 22 of Fi 1. Fig. 3'. is asectional side elevation s owing the means for coupling and fasteningthe ad jacent ends of the protector sections. Fi 4 is a perspective viewof the clip or sadd e piece thereof. Fig. 5 is a perspective viewshowing the construction of the meeting ends of the protector sections.Fig. 6 is a cross sectional viewof the protector, showing a modificationin the form thereof. Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the rim ofan automobile or other vehicle wheel, to which is applied in anysuitable manner a pneumatic tire 2 of any preferred type orconstruction.

The protector comprises a channeled cover 3, adaptedto fitaround andinclose the tread port-ion and the outer surfaces of the sides of-thetire. Thisfcover is preferably made of metal havi more ,or lessresiliency, but may be made any other suitable material. It ispreferably composed of two or more in which and removed, twosemicircular sections 4 and 5 being shown in the present instance, whichsections when united are adapted to snugly embrace the inflated tireEach semicircular channeled section of referably formed with scallopedside edges, providing alternate rebeing had to the acfi ure 1 1s a sideelevation of a vehicle of the tire which eral displacement. In order toinsure the firm retention of the protector in position, each protectorsection is provided at fixed intervals. with spring clamps 8. Each ofthese clamps is of U-form and has its body portion seated within agroove 9 formed on the inner face of the cover 3 so as to lie flushtherewith, and having its ends 10 extending downward on the oppositesides of the cover underjand inwardly to form spring fin gage the sidesof t inFigs. l and 2.

beyond the projections 7 ers 10 to yleldingly ene tire, as clearly shownThe extremities of these ngers are preferably bent outward topreent-them from chafing or otherwise injurmg the tire.

he channeled cover or protector is provided with a thickened centraltread portion 11, whose outer surface may be convexly curved, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, laterally extended and flattened, as shownin Fig. 6, or of any other desired form and of any required width, asdifferent conditions of-service may demand." Laterally extending,inwardly curved guard flanges or Wings 12 .are preferably formedintegral with said tread portion and project outward to a sufiicientextent to permit free expansion of the tire. These flanges cover therecesses 6 and portions of the arms 7 to shield and. protect theportions of the sides posed through said openings. The spring metal ofwhich these flanges or wings are formed adapt them to yield when cominginto contactwith obstructions, whereby injury to or breakage of saidflanges will be prevented.

would otherwise be ex.

Each section of the protector is con- 'structed in the manner abovevdescribed, and

of-onesectlon are formed the meeting ends withrecesses 13 toreeeivetongtzes or projectionsl on the meeting ends of the othersections, thus adapting t e ends of the sections to overlap and formclosed joints, whileproviding for their ready application to andremovalfrom the wheel and their relative yielding movement circumferentially vof the wheel to the required extent tolcoinpairs of coupling arms orstraps formed with registeringeyesldfor the passage of securing bolts17' each at one end-provided with a hood 18 .and at: its oppositeendwitha retaining nut 19 and nut locking-pin 19'. Slidably mounted insaid eyes 16 are. tubes or sleeves 20, each of which projects outwardlybeyond the eye and receives a coiled sprin 21, which spring incloses theadjacent end 0 the bolt and bears at its opposite ends against the headof the boltand inner end of the-eye, to permit the ends of the sections4 and 5 vto have a slight amount of relative play to adapt them'toreadily accommodate themselves .to the movements-of the tire,

. while retaining the ends of said sections in firmengagementagainst'dis lacement.

v 15 and bolts l7'is a clip or saddle 22 formed cap wardly.

of metal and channeled to engage the inner or saddle may be securedtothe rim by suitable fastenings assing through openings 23. thereinand islbrmed at each side with a pfair of laterally extending ears 24aperturedof rods 25. The ears supportcylinders 26 each closed, at its;inner end by a removable or head 27 The rods are slidable through thecylinders and openings in their heads andtheirdaiwardsliding movement isyieldingly resisted by coiled springs 28 inclosed within'the cylinders,each spring being arranged to encompass the rod between the ear 24 andawasher 29 held'by'a key 29' at the outer' end of the rod so as to becompressed when'the rod slides inwardly and to normally expand and forcethe rod out- The outer ends of the rods are provided with eyes 30 whichengage the outer ends of the bolts 17 and are respectively arrangedbetween the outer ends of the sleeves and the heads and retaining nutsof the bolts. By this construction it will be seen that when the tireyields inwardly, the ad-- jacent ends ofthe protector sections are freeto yieldingly move inward therewith tothe extent allowed by the rods andsprings,

whichin efiect form spring cushions or plungers. It will be, observedthat the outer ends'of the tubes or sleeves 20 are arranged to bearagainst the eyes 30 of the adjacent rods and said tubes are thus heldfrom outward movement, so a's'to permit the eyes 16 to slide thereon. Itwill be apparent from the foregoing description that this telesco icconnection between the eyes 16 and tu cs 30 permits the ends of theprotector sections 4 and 5 to yield to the slig t extentlallowed thecushioning springs 21 to permit'play b saidsections in the movements ofthe tire.

or the passage tially covering the arms, spring cli Froni'the foregoingdescription, it will be seen that myinvention provides a protector comosed of sectionsw ich may be readily a pied to the tire for use andremoved.

t erefrom when occas1on requires, and that the coupling means allowssaid sections to have both radial and circumferential yieldmg movementto restricted degrees to adapt.

the :protector to have suflicient play to per- .mitthe tire to freelyexpand and contract without liability of separating said sections orcausing their displacement from the tire. Also it will be seen that theconstruction of the protector is such as to prevent the same fromchafing the. tire and also serves as an efiective guard againstpuncturing by nails, particles of glass and other sharp substances.

Other conveniences and advantages of the invention will be apparent tothose versed in the art.

Havin thusfully described the invention,

. .what is c aimed as'new, is Associated with each set 0 straps orarmsing transversely beneath said tread portion.

and arms and having s ringffin ers terminatingadjacent to and eyond t eendsof the arms to bear agamst the sides of the tire.

A pro tor for pneumatic tires 'comprising a plurality embrace the outerportion of-the tire, said sections bein provided with, meeting endshaving coup ing members thereon, bolts uniting the ad acent. couplingmembers means associated with the bolts an conplmg members to permitrelative yieldsprin ing movement of the latter, fastening elementsadapted for attachment to the rim of the wheel, and cushioningconnections betl'gwleen said fastening 'meansand the coupling 3. A-protector. for pneumatic tires comprising a channeledcover formed of aplurality of sections, each of said sections being provided withscalloped side ed es forming alternately arran ed recesses an .arms,laterally extending auges carried by the tread portion and covering thereoessea and parcarried by the arms to engage the sides 0 the tire, andmeans for coupling the cover sections.-

4. A protector or pneumatic tires comprising a pluralit of channeledsections having meetin en s and adapted to inclose the tire, coupmembers on the meeting ends, brackets a apted .to be secured to thtrimof the wheel, yielding connections between the coupling members, andyielding of channeled sections to connections between the first namedielding connections and thebrackets, sai connections being adapted torespectively permit yielding radial and circumferential movements of therotector sections.

5. Aflprotector or pneumatic tires com prising a plurality of channeledsections having meeting ends and adapted to inclose the tire, coup ingarms, upon the meeting ends of said sectlons, said arms being providedwith eyes, brackets adapted to be secured to the rim of the wheel, rodsslidably engaging the brackets, springs for permitting radial yieldingmovement of said rods, bolts passing through the eyes of the coupling.arms and engaging said rods, and springs for permit-ting yieldingsliding movement of said arms on the bolts between the rods.

6. A pneumatic tire protector comprising achanneled cover formed ofsections, cushioningconnections between the ends of the sections adaptedto permit yielding circuml ferential movementthereof, brackets adapteddfor attachment to the rim of the wheel an brackets and the protectorsections adapted to permit yielding radial movement of the latter. I 7.A pneumatic tire protector comprising a channeled cover formed ofsections, spring fingers upon the sections to yieldingly engage thesides of the tire, cushioning connections between the ends of thesections including bolts, coupling members slidable on the bolts, andsprings for opposing such movement, brackets adapted for attachment tothe rim of the Wheel, and'spring controlled rods carried by saidbrackets and connected with said bolts.

In testimony whereof I aflix in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE VERGOTE. Witnesses:

. O. A. LENDE,

ROBERT M. ADDISON, Jr.

my signature cushioning connections between said

